Sichilima warns north MMD cadres destabilizing party

Sichilima warns north MMD cadres destabilizing party
By George Chellah
Thu 16 Sep. 2010, 04:01 CAT

NORTHERN Province MMD vice-chairman Gaston Sichilima yesterday warned that disciplinary action would be taken against anybody working to destabilise the party in the region regardless of their position or status.

Commenting on revelations that the leadership wrangles in the Northern Province MMD executive committee had left the party in disarray, Sichilima - who is also deputy home affairs minister - said that as provincial vice-chairman in-charge of discipline, he would not tolerate people that want to destabilise the party.

“I have just heard that from you but if those problems are there, we provincial executive committee will go on the ground and see those problems,” Sichilima said. “Like every family, we have frictions and squabbles here and there but that doesn’t mean that if they problems are there then it should destabilise the party.”

Sichilima said anyone found wanting would definitely be disciplined according to the party constitution. He said if there were problems in the party’s provincial executive committee, they would have to meet and table them.

Sichilima said the MMD guidelines were very clear on disciplinary matters.

“The branch cannot expel a fellow member at branch level, they can only recommend to the constituency body and it goes up,” Sichilima said. “Similarly, a PEC official cannot expel a fellow PEC official.”

On Tuesday, well-placed sources within the MMD NEC disclosed that wrangles in the Northern Province provincial executive committee had left the ruling party in disarray and were contributing to President Banda’s dwindling support in the region.

The sources revealed that the wrangles in the party structures were being attributed to the provincial chairman Griever Sikasote whose leadership style is being questioned.